The Legacy of Oddeye
by Noma89
Summary: Follow Oddeye from his birth within Arc Valley's bowels, to his death at the hands of Bowie and the Shining Force, as well as everything in between. Chapter 3 up FINALLY.
1. Chapter 1 In The Beginning

Oddeye's Legacy

Chapter 1 - In the Beginning

"My Lord," a low voice spoke, not quite a whisper but barely audible. A rasp of a voice, hissing coldly from beneath curled lips.

"Geshp?" This bellow, in comparison to the former voice, was huge.

"My Lord. You have won. Darksol and Lucifer have fallen. Their armies have raised white flags."

"So they have. I am so tired of battling."

"They're defeated, but not dead, my Lord. Darksol seeks council with you, but Lucifer has gone into hiding." a little green man now made himself visible.

It was very late, and the sky was dark. The towering shadow of some enormous figure blotted out many of the stars, and spoke to the little green man.

"Let him come. I will speak to him, and then I will crush him. And I will find Lucifer, and crush him as well. I've not time for their games." the figure bellowed.

"I understand. And what will you do now?"

"I am the king of all devils. I will kill all who oppose me, I will destroy the god Volcanon and his sister Mitula, and I will purge this planet of the Creator and make it mine forever." the large creature explained. It sat upon the isle known as Grans, on the south eastern edge, near the ocean. This was the place called Arc Valley, the center of all evil power in Rune.

"I see. And what of your minions and myself?" The little man grimaced as he prepared for the answer.

"You will help me, of course. And we will find ways to take the lands of the Gods. I do not need to lift a finger for them, your power is nearly equal to Volcanon's. You and Cameela should have no trouble with either of them." The huge monster lifted it head to the sky. "And I will wait for the God of Wisdom to come when his children fall, and I will drive him from Rune with all my power. It will take some effort, but I will be the victor."

"I understand. So, what comes first?" Geshp pondered the question himself.

The Devil King took some time to answer, but finally his moved his face toward Geshp so that he became more visible to the little green man. One of his eyes was a milky white, damaged and scarred from the recent battles with the other devils.

"Bring Darksol to me." Zeon's mouth remained slightly agape, as it always did, after he had finished speaking.

"Yes, my lord." And with that Geshp disappeared into the darkness of the night.

* * *

Hours had passed, and on the eastern horizon the light of the coming sun turned the sky a magnificent scarlet. Zeon knelt near the shore, peering toward the horizon, his mouth agape and his eyes squinting as the sun looked back at him. Suddenly, Geshp appeared behind his master, his face full of terror.

"My lord!" Geshp coughed, but before he could say more, a ball of dark energy struck him down. With a heavy thud he hit the ground, and Zeon turned to his minion quickly, his eyes wide.

"What is this!?" Zeon bellowed. "Who's there!?"

"Zeon, you're a fool." A voice came out of the darkness. "We surrendered and you ceased your attack. You should have crushed me when you had the chance, because now it will haunt you forever."

"Darksol!? You really think you can fight me? Then you are the foolish one." Zeon dug his claws into the earth in anger.

"I am done fighting. You have won your title. You are the king of all devils." Darksol appeared before Zeon, the sunlight gleaming off the horns upon his helmet. Of the devil lords, Darksol had always been the most human looking. His eyes glowed red from beneath his helm as he approached Zeon's towering figure.

"It was in your arrogance that you have erred, Zeon." Another voice came from the darkness, and from nowhere, another being appeared. A large, birdlike figure stood before Zeon, it's wings outstretched and its red eyes bore into Zeon with a sort of burning hatred.

"Lucifer. You have come as well. So you wish for me to kill you both?" Zeon laughed heartily.

"You shouldn't laugh, Zeon." Came yet a third voice from the Devil King's back. Zeon looked over his shoulder quickly, and his eyes widened. There, floating in the glorious rays of the rising sun, was the god Volcanon.

"What!? What is going on!?" Zeon spun around and tried to crush Volcanon with a huge, fetid claw, but the god disappeared, reappearing at Lucifer's side.

"Brother." Lucifer whispered to Volcanon, his head cocked to one side.

"Do not speak to me." Volcanon spat. "Once this is finished you will leave this world for good, else you'll have me to deal with."

Lucifer scoffed, but turned his attention back to Zeon, who'd already turned back the face them. Zeon's eyes were wide with rage, and he was breathing heavily.

"So you've all come together against me!? I'd never have guessed, but even together you cannot defeat me!" Zeon clawed his way toward them, but before he could move very far, Lucifer spread his wings and Darksol raised his arms. From them both came a black funnel like shape of energy. At first, it seemed as if they were attempting to drain Zeon's power, but, in reality, they were channeling all of their own energy into him. Zeon's power began to grow immensely, and as he realized he was not being attacked, but strengthened, he laughed with glee.

"Hahahaha!! Your attacks do nothing but empower me, you fools! I am the king of all devils now, and with the title comes unrivaled power! I should cru…!" Before Zeon could finish his sentence, the ground beneath him began to tremble. Within an instant, his body was flattened against the earth, and he roared in pain.

"We're giving you our power on purpose, idiot!" Darksol gasped. "You were a bumbling fool to the end, Zeon! You may be the strongest, but you are by no means the most intelligent, and it has been your undoing!"

"What…is this!?" Zeon thrashed with pain, tearing up the ground beneath him. Cracks appeared under his body as the earth began to open.

"Arc Valley, where evil power gathers…" Volcanon whispered. He had not fully understood his brother Lucifer's plan when he'd approached him, but it was now clear. With the addition of Lucifer and Darksol's power to Zeon's, he was being mercilessly pulled into Arc Valley. And though the other devil lords would now be incredibly weak, they will have sealed their greatest enemy away. It was a win-win situation for both the god and the devils, and eventually Darksol and Lucifer would regain their power, and the fight for the most powerful devil would be between them, instead. Volcanon hoped to take advantage of his brother and Darksol's weakness after Zeon had been put away, killing them both and freeing the world from their presence once and for all.

Zeon pounded his fists into the ground as the earth opened up beneath him and he was pulled ever deeper into the chasm. Soon, the hole had grown much wider and deeper, Zeon's body having been pulled hundreds of feet into the ground. He screamed with pain as he was dragged into the depths of Arc Valley.

"Now!" Darksol bellowed, and both he and Lucifer surged the last of their energy into Zeon's body.

"Quickly…" Lucifer gasped as he fell to the ground. "Brother, before he returns to the surface. He will be stricken with all this new power, immobile until his body becomes accustomed…" Lucifer collapsed, unconscious.

"You must seal his power before he reemerges." Darksol was leaning on one knee, his expression pained as he tried to speak.

Volcanon rose above the chasm within which Zeon now resided. He could hear the great devil growling with rage, but he had yet to climb back out of his prison. Volcanon raised his beak to the sky, his enormous wings blotting the sun as he outstretched them.

"Father, lend me your strength." Volcanon's beak glowed magnificently as he produced a set of gems from it. One, a red jewel, and the other, colorless like that of a diamond. They were identical in shape and size, and attached by a short chain of some unknown, unbreakable metal. From the colorless jewel came a groan and a flash as Zeon's power was instantly encased within it, turning it a dark blue. Volcanon instantly choked on the pendants, spitting them aside with disgust as the dark power emanating from the jewel radiated upon him.

"Good…" Darksol coughed, picking the pendant from the ground. The other jewel, though, flashed brightly, and he dropped it quickly as if it had burned him.

"Leave it. I'll endure and take it with me and put it someplace safe." Volcanon looked down into the chasm were Zeon lay. An enormous groan erupted from the hole, cracking the earth around it even more.

"We must leave here. He'll never stop complaining now that he is powerless." Darksol said weakly. "I do thank you, Volcanon. I am not a fool. Without you, this would not have been possible."

"Save your breath." Volcanon spat hotly. "You honestly think Zeon was the only one I came to take care of?" Volcanon quickly turned to Darksol, and from his beak erupted a large, meteor-like ball of fire and rock, which promptly shot in Darksol's direction. With what little strength he had left, Darksol avoided the blast.

"I see. That's too bad, God Volcanon. Someday, you'll be out of the picture, too. Until then, farewell." And Darksol was gone. Another bellow came from the Zeon's prison, and Volcanon turned to face Lucifer. To his surprise, though, his brother has also disappeared. Disappointed, the god scooped up the jewels in his talons, and took his leave of Grans and headed back to the heavens, until he'd be needed again.

Zeon's cries tore Grans asunder. With each moan his voice grew louder and more pained, and the mountains crashed and fell around him, further burying him within Arc Valley. His power was gone, and he was forever sealed there. In order to keep Zeon from rising, Volcanon had a shrine erected atop Arc Valley, and placed the jewels there. As long as the jewels were together where they'd been left, Zeon's power was in check. The Jewel of Light's power would balance the great strength of the Jewel of Evil, and everything would be well.


	2. Chapter 2 Zeon's Finest

Chapter 2 - Zeon's Finest

* * *

"My king." Creed bent his knee. The cavern within Arc Valley was a large, empty place. Evil spirits floated to and fro, and a constant smell of decay filled the air. The walls and ceiling of the cavern was made of black stone and soil, and the heat within the stinking cavern would have been too great for any human to bare.

"Creed. I said I wanted to see no one." Zeon's bellowing voice had become a rasping growl since his sealing. His damaged eye was closed, and the other was open only slightly, gazing weakly at Creed.

"My king, with all due respect, you cannot remain like this forever. Someday you will rise again from this pit, and you must be ready then. We must be more prepared than we were before, or else we will be sent to this prison once more." Creed was the only greater devil who had ever challenged Zeon's orders openly. Though Zeon was often irritated by this, Creed was Zeon's oldest comrade, and whenever he challenged and order, it was for very good reason and never out of disrespect.

"Hmm…" Zeon moaned slightly.

"None of us has any control of what is going on up on the surface. For all we know, Darksol or Lucifer is reigning in your place. And if they aren't, someday it may come to that. We need someone who can pass from Arc Valley to the world above and back." Creed seemed to have thought this out well in the time they had been sealed away, and though time really meant very little where there, it had already been several years since the sealing.

"What are you suggesting?" Zeon moaned, seemingly only half interested.

"You are the king of all devils. Together, we must figure out a way to get someone to the surface. We cannot go as your power is part of us. I have many different theories. I'd like to test them, but of course I need your permission and assistance, my king." Creed bowed slightly.

"Creed, you know I trust you with everything I have…" Zeon paused, rethinking that statement. "Everything I did have. You don't need my permission. Do what you will. I see little point in anything anymore, so none of this really interests me. Maybe in the future if you have something to show me, I'll be a little more inclined to understand the purpose of what you're proposing."

Creed felt somewhat defeated by those words. His master had seemingly given up. In the long run, though, Zeon would thank him if Creed's theories were tested and one of them proved useful, but until he supplied a promising outcome or convincing results, he'd have to work things out on his own.

Without another word, Creed bowed to his master and turned to leave, but before he'd even taken a few steps, a shadow appeared at Creed's back. It was Geshp. The little green man grimaced at his mentor, who had sensed Geshp's presence the moment he appeared. Creed looked back over his shoulder at the little imp of a devil.

"I'd like a word with you." Geshp almost hissed.

"Oh, would you?" Creed was used to the bantering conversation he often shared with Geshp, and so he was accustomed to using sarcasm in nearly every sentence he spoke in his company. Geshp didn't reply to this, but instead walked on ahead of Creed, assuming the other devil would follow. Creed couldn't help but chuckle every time he watched Geshp walk, as his legs were so short that his wobbling stride was quite comical.

They entered a small alcove carved into one of the cavern walls. It could not exactly be called a room, as Arc Valley had no 'rooms', per se. If the cavern was not simply a wide open space, like that in which Zeon rested in defeat and self pity, they considered alcoves such as these to be rooms. This one, in particular, was Geshp's. They had no possessions here in their prison, and so the place was empty. The only object there at all was a small red orb that Geshp often carried with him, and which he had subsequently been holding when he was sealed away with his master. Now it sat, useless, on the floor in the very center of the room.

"Well?" Creed had his eye on the orb, choosing not to look at the twisted expression on Geshp's face.

"What was it you were talking to his majesty about, hm? Theories, yes? What theories?" Geshp spoke quickly, as he always did when he was about to have one of his nervous, jealous outbursts. Any attention Zeon paid to anyone other than Geshp himself was frowned upon greatly by the little devil.

"I have several. Nothing spectacular, and probably nothing that will produce anything very rewarding for any of us, but we're stuck here for a good long while, I suppose." Creed rubbed his forehead, already tired of having to explain things to Geshp. He knew that answer wouldn't satisfy Geshp at all, but he really wasn't in the mood to go over everything, and even if he did, all Creed's ideas would be spat upon one at a time by the little bastard.

"Come now, what are you talking about!" Geshp growled. "I want in on whatever this is. You can't just go around conducting experiments and testing out theories in a place like this! You don't know what could happen down here, you don't know what the outcome will be if something goes wrong. What if-" Creed rolled his eyes in boredom. Geshp would go on forever, and he'd already started to drone.

"Save it, Geshp." Creed moaned. "Just busy yourself with your own brain and stop picking at mine. Maybe we can even make a competition of it." Just as Creed had said those words, he instantly realized that this was the way to keep the annoying little imp off his back. Geshp perked up with excitement in his eyes at the very idea; competition. It was in his blood, and whoever came out on top would have Zeon's undivided trust and attention.

"What…kind of competition?" Geshp tried not to sound eager.

"I discussed with his majesty," Creed explained, "about creating a being that would be able to travel to the surface from this place, as we cannot. I'm unsure of what exactly this would entail, but since we'll be down here for a while, I assume, then this is the best way to utilize our time here. And, if we succeed, his majesty would have a servant who could keep tabs on his enemies on the surface. Also, we would possibly be able to prevent any undesirable events occurring that would cause our stay to be extended. We may even be able to figure out a way to use this being to shorten our time down here."

"This is a very good idea." Geshp hated to admit it, but he was happy just to be included in the whole thing.

"Yes. It will take much time to plan and execute, though. It will include much trial and error. As you said, neither of us truly understands how things work down here. Working separately would actually be the best option, as we could also compare findings regularly and avoid making similar mistakes." Creed grinned widely.

"I see, I see." Geshp nodded frantically. "Yes, very good." Creed was quite pleased with the way he'd handled the situation. With Geshp away from him, he'd be able to go his own way in peace. And, truthfully, Geshp was very smart, though he was much more keen on scheming, plotting, and setting traps than actually pouring over information and experimentation. Whatever findings he did come up with might help Creed a bit, and Creed didn't intend on sharing all of his own information with Geshp. The bits and pieces he fed Geshp would be just enough to satisfy him and keep him out of Creed's hair.

"I'll take my leave now. I have things to do. I'll get back to you with any progress I've made in a few days." Creed moved to the low archway that was the entrance and exit to the alcove, and looked back over his shoulder. "You should do the same. Until then, try and keep out of my way, will you?"

Geshp chuckled evilly, but said nothing. Moving to the middle of the room, he picked up his little red orb, looked at Creed, and waved him away.

"Go, go now. We've both got things to do." At that, Creed exited the room, and was now back in the large empty area they'd all named 'The Hall', as this is were Zeon rested, and it was the largest open area in which they lived. With many things flowing through his head, he moved towards his own room, which was nearest to Zeon himself. Another small niche, though significantly larger than Geshp's own room, was Creed's, the entrance standing only about 20 feet to Zeon's right.

The devil king was now sleeping, his gaping mouth breathing in heavy, rasping growls that sounded very unnatural for any creature of their world. Any other beings would most likely have been scared half to death just by the sound, but Creed was quite used to it, especially being that his room was so close to his master's resting place. Since Zeon had not done much of anything at all since his sealing, he slept quite often, and seeing as time had very little meaning in Arc Valley, he took his naps at random intervals.

Creed entered his room, stooping slightly to enter, as the archway was a little low for him, even though he wasn't exceptionally tall. With a small sigh, he looked around his empty space, and thought to himself how and where to begin. There were so many options and so many possibilities. So many things could come of this, both good and bad, but it was a risk he was willing to take. After all, his gamble was his own, and he lived to serve Zeon. If he succeeded, he'd have served his master well, but if something should happen to Creed himself, he'd still have done his best and died honorably for the cause. There was no way of knowing how testing his theories would effect him. Without his dark powers, he had very few things to work with, especially because he had absolutely no possessions here in Arc Valley.

'The first thing a being needs…is a soul.' Creed pondered this to himself. 'This is what I must start with, and I'll build onto it from there. With what, though? What other materials do I have?' Creed paced the room, as he often did when he was thinking. Countless hours would pass, and without even noticing, he had, at times, gone for whole days without any sleep.

If there was something that Creed missed most about the outside world, it was the most basic things. At times like these, for example, he wished he had a quill and parchment available. Instead, he had to keep all his ideas swimming around in his brain. A lake full of different colored fish, splashing chaotically and without organization. Without these basic tools, he had no way to keep his thoughts organized. He was forced to try his best to look over each individual idea with patience and concentration, while still keeping all his other thoughts in mind so he would not forget something.

'Souls,' he thought, 'are something we have an abundance of down here. Unfortunately, they all look the same and there isn't any way to tell what kind of man or beast had owned the soul before it left it's body for the afterlife. The only sure thing is that the souls here are dark spirits. Each one is filled with a certain degree of evil and malice.' Deep in thought, his legs began to move slightly faster, and the speed of his pacing increased little by little, until he was walking around the alcove at a fairly brisk pace. If anyone had been watching, they'd most likely be laughing at the way he looked at that moment. Finally, as if having become mentally exhausted from the amount of thought he was putting into this all at once, he stopped pacing and sat on the cavern floor with his back to the wall.

Arc Valley was an incredibly dark place. The dank air was so sickeningly filled with such a smell of death and decay that it was impossible to get used to, even after being there for several years. There was the constant sound of moaning, weeping, and screaming in almost all directions from the tortured souls that roamed the caverns, seemingly searching for some unknown cure to their eternal torment. The only light in the place was a single torch in each alcove, and two in the Hall. Where they had come from, Creed had never wondered, but he guessed they were made from some sort of magic, as the torch flames were a light blue rather than the natural orange and red. In this light, Creed understood why it was so easy for Zeon to slip into a deep sleep so often. The rays from the blue torches lit the room in a sort of florescent way, the unnatural glow reflecting a somewhat relaxing and calm atmosphere. If not for the stagnant air, the rancid smell, and the constant noise, Creed may have considered the place much more pleasant and much less overwhelming.

Creed's eyes felt heavy, and after a few moments of resting against the cavern wall, he slipped into a sort of half doze. His mind was still sort of buzzing with the sound of the voice in his mind reviewing all his thoughts, but he was only barely listening to it. The sound of the spirits had become faint, and he could feel himself drifting into sleep, when suddenly the feeling that he was being watched startled him back to life. There, in the doorway, stood Cameela.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Cameela said with some hint of a snide tone in her voice.

"Just relaxing." Creed ignored her tone. "Can I help you?"

"What have you been talking to Geshp about?" Her expression revealed she was quite irritated. "He's running around like a headless chicken. If he hadn't mentioned you, I'd have assumed he'd just finally gone mad from being down here for so long. I'm surprised I'm still sane myself, actually."

"Zeon and I discussed the possibility of creating a devil who could pass between Arc Valley and the surface. We decided to make a sort of competition out of it, Geshp and I." Creed explained, still feeling slightly groggy. Standing up slowly from where he'd been sitting, he looked at Cameela with a sort of passionate disdain. Of all the greater devils, Creed disliked Cameela the most. At least Geshp and Zalbard were clever in their own ways, but Cameela was, for lack of a better term, an idiot. It wasn't even that she was stupid in terms of how she acted or her knowledge, but that she was not keen on thinking at all. The absence of will to learn was what made her so much less intelligent than the others, and so she was essentially unwise because she was lazy, and lazy because she was unwise. It was a never ending circle of stupidity, and this was probably the only reason she had not been given more power from Zeon when he had made her into one of his generals.

Though the devil king himself depended on his advisors because he was not incredibly intelligent, even Zeon could see that Cameela was too witless to be one he could trust with too much power or too many troops. Really, the only thing Cameela had going for her was her strength and dexterity on the battlefield. Other than that, Creed believed there were many better candidates in his master's army that could easily have become a general in her place. He hoped that someday Zeon would become aware of this as well.

"Hmm, I see." Cameela said, sounding completely uninterested. Creed knew that she actually didn't 'see' what he was talking about at all, but that she simply didn't want to talk to him about a subject that she didn't care to try and understand.

"Was that all…?" Creed said with a hint of irritation in his voice now as well.

"I suppose. Just try and keep him out of my way." With that, she departed. Creed furrowed his brow in frustration. This interruption was badly timed, as now that he'd become agitated, a great deal of his ideas had been lost somewhere in the back of his mind. With a heavy sigh of displeasure, he tried once more to organize his thoughts.

'A soul is all well and good, but just a soul is useless.' Creed began to pace the room again. 'I need to somehow supply the soul with a body, and imbue that body with power. I have no power of my own, and if Zeon gives up any of what little he has, this new being will be stuck down here just as we are.' Creed thought carefully, trying his best to think of all the possibilities. Very suddenly, it came to him. Arc Valley was the very center of all the evil power in Rune. It gathered here from points all over the globe, and so not only did the souls of dark beings gravitate to this very spot, but dark energy did as well. It's origin was unknown, but all dark power was the same, and Creed could use it as a sort of catalyst. How he'd go about doing this exactly, he wasn't sure. And though they were sealed within Arc Valley, the very area where the energies of darkness gathered was a place none of them had ever seen since their sealing.

Countless tunnels existed, branching off from the Hall, and though four of them were the rooms of the greater devils, there were dozens more that led to some unknown area of the cavern. In all the years since their sealing, Creed had never thought to explore them, especially since there was no available light in the tunnels to guide him. One or possibly several of those many paths most likely led even deeper into the depths of Rune. Somewhere beneath his very feet, in the endless blackness of the planet's belly, was the heart of all evil and darkness. The core of all the world's malice and hatred, bubbling and coursing underneath them all, was what he needed to locate.

Creed took a moment and weighed his options. Going to Zeon was a possibility, but to inquire the exact location of this evil core from his master would most likely leave him with just as little information as he had now. If Creed didn't have the answer, then Zeon most surely didn't. Then again, Zeon was much older than Creed was, and if information had somehow managed to allude Creed for these many years, it was possible that Zeon may have come across it in the years before he created his advisor. Geshp could most likely help Creed as well, but the cost for his assistance was much too high for his liking. If Geshp knew the location of Arc Valley's core, he'd undoubtedly try to keep Creed away from it, if only to stifle his competitor's progress.

'This is madness.' Creed thought to himself. 'This is why we're here in the first place, none of us can rely on the other for anything.' For a very brief moment, Creed imagined himself on the surface, far from Zeon and his minions. Resting peacefully near the ocean with nothing but shelves filled with books to surround him, and no more of Rune's war where devils killed their own, and gods plotted the best way to take advantage of each battle for the sake of good.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Creed snapped back to reality. Zeon was his master, and nothing would ever dilute the severity with which he served him. Creed was surprised at himself for even entertaining the thought at all. Drifting back to his original thought, he attempted to figure out a way to find the valley's core. If Geshp wasn't an option, he switched his thoughts to Cameela and Zalbard. Though Cameela was virtually opposed to doing any work at all, Zalbard was not, and he was the only greater devil that Creed had ever had very many positive discussions with. Zalbard was definitely not as smart as Geshp, but in this case, that was actually to Creed's advantage. Zalbard would be a very fitting assistant, and with him, if Creed was forced to traverse the lightless caverns of Arc Valley, he'd cover twice as much ground with a comrade.

As much as the idea of wondering through the possibly endless tunnels in this place discouraged him, Creed wasn't sure there was any other way. He'd already begun inspecting the magical torch on the wall of his room. When he pulled it from the wall, he found that the light was instantly extinguished. There was no way to know how they really worked, but he assumed that they were somehow being fueled by the spiritual energy of the souls roaming about, coupled with the power of darkness flowing through the walls of Arc Valley. Carrying it with him would be useless. He would have to come up with another source of light, but that wasn't important just yet. After examining the torch a bit more, he place it back on the wall, where the blue flame quickly reappeared.

Creed decided going to Zeon could only help him in terms of information. If Zeon knew nothing, then he'd be no worse off, but if he did have any idea were the core was, then it would be a big step in the right direction. After that, he would go to Zalbard and ask if he would assist in finding the core. Hopefully, once it was found, Zalbard would continue to assist Creed and also help with the experimentation.

Creed entered the Hall and turned to where his master still rested, snoring heavily. Creed had absolutely no qualms with waking the sleeping Zeon, seeing as his master was doing nothing of any productivity anyway. Besides, he'd have quite literally a near eternity to rest.

"My lord." Creed said firmly, in an attempt to wake the large devil. Zeon continued to snore rather wildly, the sounds coming from his gaping mouth shook the walls of the cavern slightly.

"My lord!" Zeon sputtered and opened his eyes, somewhat surprised to be awoken so suddenly.

"Who! Who dares-!" Zeon's one good eye flicked back and forth in its socket in search of the one who'd awakened him, until it finally it came to rest on Creed. "Oh, Creed, it's you. What do you want? This is the second time I've told you, I wish to see no one. For once that includes you, my friend."

"My apologies, my lord. I swear to leave you be if you'll answer me one question." Creed bowed slightly, as he always did in Zeon's presence. Creed wasn't an excessive kiss up, unlike Geshp, but he knew that Zeon appreciated it when he was treated with utmost respect, and this was most likely why Zeon had such trust in his advisor. Zeon more often considered Creed an equal than his subordinate, even though the difference in their power was quite substantial.

"Go ahead." Zeon's voice was still a rasping growl, unlike the critical bellow it had been since Creed had known him.

"Here in Arc Valley, evil power gathers. Of course, you know this already." Zeon's brow raised as Creed spoke. "Anyway, though we are in the valley, we are not at the center. You wouldn't happen to have any idea where it is, would you?"

"I don't understand, Creed. Why do you want to find the center?" Zeon's brow was still raised.

"It would help me test my theories. The ones we spoke of earlier, my lord. I also ask that you allow Zalbard to assist me." Creed hoped that by asking Zeon for Zalbard's help, that the other devil would be ordered to assist him, rather than Creed asking with the possibility of being rejected.

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Zeon sighed.

"My lord, I am only thinking of you and what's in your best interest. A devil on the outside could be immensely helpful."

"I suppose. Alright." Zeon nodded. "Zalbard will help you. As for the center, I've never heard of where the exact location is." Zeon admitted with another sigh. Creed's shoulders slumped slightly. He'd be forced to scour the entire belly of the planet. It wasn't that he didn't have plenty of time, but the thought of searching endless caverns was daunting.

"But," Zeon continued after a moment, "there has always been a constant pull from the end of the Hall. Like a sort of tugging. It nags me, at times. I felt the same magnetic force when I was sealed here, only it was thousands of times more powerful then. Now it is nothing, as I have no power left. So small I'd forgotten it was really there, until you reminded me."

"I see." Creed felt a small glimmer of hope again. The pull on Zeon's remaining power must have been that of the valley's core. With a new sense of drive, Creed bowed to his master once more.

"Thank you, my lord. I'll find Zalbard and get started immediately." Creed turned and continued down the Hall to Zalbard's alcove.

"Don't get to carried away, my friend." Zeon warned as he instantly began to doze again. "You know how you become…with these experiments of yours. You become obsessed."

Creed half ignored what Zeon was saying as he reached the doorway to Zalbard's room. Peeking quickly inside, he saw that Zalbard was also dozing, much like Creed had been before Cameela had come into his room. He was sitting with his back against the wall, his head slumped slightly to one side. The robes he usually wore were sitting next to him, neatly folded, and he had on only a pair of dirty looking brown pants. You would never know it, seeing as his robes kept his body well concealed at all times, but Zalbard's physical appearance was actually quite astounding. The muscles in his arms were fairly large, and his chest and abdominals were very well built. Zalbard's physical strength made up for the fact that he had a much smaller amount of magic power to waste before he became exhausted than Creed or Geshp. When his magical strength was gone in battle, he resorted to melee combat, and though he was not as strong as Cameela, his claws were powerful weapons nonetheless.

"Zalbard." Creed said his name firmly, as he had done to Zeon moments before, in order to wake him. One of Zalbard's eyes opened slightly.

"I was only relaxing. I heard you talking with Zeon." Zalbard murmured. "You know if you'd just asked me, I'd have volunteered my help. Geshp's been running around like a fool. All this excitement, I don't understand what all the fuss is about."

"It's not for us, it's for the master." Creed looked over his shoulder toward Geshp's room. "You know how he loves to be the best at everything when it comes to pleasing Zeon." Zalbard snickered at that.

"Of course. So what will we be doing?" Zalbard stood, beginning to dress in his purple and blue robes as he spoke.

"Like I told the master, we have to find the core of Arc Valley. I believe we can use the energies from there to help create a being." Creed explained. Zalbard finished dressing and looked at Creed intently. When he was thinking, Zalbard would often stare blankly into space. On more than one occasion, Cameela had punched him in the face for staring at her, when in reality, he'd just been daydreaming.

"I see. And how are we going to search for this core without any light?" Zalbard sometimes forgot that Creed was very smart, and he tended to ask questions like this in the assumption that Creed had not already thought of it.

"Not sure yet. We can't use the torches. Once your remove them, they go out instantly. We need to find something else." Creed began to pace Zalbard's room slowly.

"I know that walk." Zalbard smiled somewhat. "We can't use our powers, obviously. What about Geshp's orb?" For once, Zalbard had come up with something Creed had not. Geshp's orb had powers of it's own, and on a few occasions Creed had gotten hold of it for certain purposes during to war, though that was another story entirely. Whether it could emit light or not, Creed didn't know, but it could most definitely spout fire, and that would have to do.

"Excellent idea." Creed grinned at Zalbard. "But how do we get it right out from under his nose?"

"Good question. We could try and trick him somehow, I suppose." Zalbard suggested.

"No, no, he's much too smart for that…but I promised to share any results or ideas I had with him on these experiments. So maybe would could sort of…mislead him." Creed tried to plot a way to lead Geshp in the wrong direction, one that would require him to leave his orb unattended in order to do research outside of his room.

"What if you told him of the core? Then just send him down the wrong tunnel." Zalbard wasn't really thinking hard about his suggestions at this point. He was already pleased with himself for having come up with the idea of Geshp's orb in the first place.

"No. If we send him into the tunnel, he'll take the orb with him." Creed continued to pace, when finally a thought hit him. "I had another idea earlier of using these roaming souls in the experiments. Something to use as a basic building block for our devil. If I tell him about this, hopefully he'll go to inspect them right away."

"Seems like a sound plan." Zalbard agreed, merely just to get on with it. Zalbard used his head only when it was really necessary. If someone else came up with a well thought out plan first, he did little to try and argue his own opinion on the matter unless the situation was dire. In this case, he simply wanted to get the orb and get things started, and he didn't much care what the process of getting it entailed, as long as it was quick and simple.

They both exited Zalbard's room and entered the Hall. Cameela's room was adjacent to Zalbard's, and she could be seen sprawled out in the center of it, semi nude. She often slept like this, and didn't much care who saw her, as long as she didn't catch one of them gawking at her. Geshp's room was further down. Creed turned to Zalbard and motioned for him to go back to his room and wait for him to return. Zalbard nodded, turned on his heel, and proceeded back to the alcove as Creed continued on. Creed wasn't much for the privacy of others, and so he had no problem waltzing into Geshp's room. Geshp didn't notice him immediately. Like his mentor, he tended to become lost in his thoughts while pacing, which he was currently doing.

"Geshp." Creed said loudly. Geshp jumped, visibly startled by the intrusion.

"What! What are you doing in here! Don't you know it's rude to-" Geshp went right into one of his regular fits, which Creed promptly tuned out until he'd finished.

"Right." Creed said, uninterested. "Anyway, I thought I'd give a quick update to maybe help you out."

"Did you hear a word I said?" Geshp sighed. "Can't you see I'm trying to think? You of all people should know how it feels to be interrupted when you're so deep in thought, especially when you can't record your ideas on paper. This had better be good." Creed was about to come back with a witty retort, as he traditionally did when the two of them got into these arguments, but decided against it. This wasn't really the time for arguing.

"In order to make a devil, we need a soul to begin." Creed began. "There's a bountiful amount down here, but we don't know to whom or what they each one belonged to before coming here. There must be a way to figure out the life each soul lived to determine which would be the most suitable for the life of a new devil, preferably the one with the darkest past." Creed was hoping Geshp had not already though of this, and that the idea would be somewhat of a revelation to him. Knowing Geshp, if he hadn't already thought of it, he'd rush out of the room immediately to begin researching the spirits. Unfortunately, he was too late.

"Yes, yes. You're just realizing that now? I thought of that right when we started this. You're getting slow and dumb in your old age, Creed. Maybe you should retire." Geshp said with a wide grin.

"Now, Geshp…" Creed began, but Geshp began to speak over him.

"Now shut up and get the hell out of my room. I'm tired of you bothering me. You're just a pain in my ass, you should just give up." Geshp taunted, still smiling evilly.

"What did you just say? Slow and dumb, eh? Really?" Creed decided it was time to go to plan B. If he couldn't steal the orb when Geshp was away, he'd simply take it right in front of him. He bent down and scooped up the heavy red orb, which was sitting again in the middle of the room, as it had been earlier.

"H-hey! What are you…!" Before Geshp could finish his sentence, Creed hurled the orb into Geshp face. His nose broke with a sickening crack, and the red orb hit the ground with a heavy thud.

"UNGHH" Geshp screamed as blood gushed from his bent nose. "My noth! Uhnn." As his eyes began to tear, Creed walked forward and picked the orb up again.

"If you ever insult me so openly again, I will do worse than this Geshp." Creed said sternly. "Don't ever forget who came before you. Don't ever forget that _I _am, and always will be, smarter and more powerful than you."

"Ine goink to thell Theon, you thunva bith." Geshp croaked angrily though blood, as it seemed he had also bit his tongue.

"Zeon won't give a shit, trust me. Just watch your mouth from now on, Geshp." Creed grinned as he left with Geshp's orb in hand, which he didn't seem to notice, being so shocked by what Creed had just done to him.

Creed approached Zalbard's room briskly, eager to venture into the tunnels immediately. Zalbard was waiting for him, and at the sight of the orb, the devil smiled widely.

"He bought it?" Zalbard said as he took the orb from Creed and examined it thoroughly.

"Had to go with plan B." Creed said, snatching the orb back.

"Plan B?" Zalbard crossed his arms, somewhat disappointed that Creed had taken it back.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go." Creed did not wait for Zalbard. He simply turned and walked to the furthest end of the Hall, where Zeon had said the pull of the core seemed to be coming from. With Zalbard in tow, Creed reached the tunnel entrance. The darkness within seemed foreboding and never ending. The orb would be the only thing that would get them to where they were going. Unfortunately, there was only one orb, making Creed's original plan to split up impossible. His only hope was that Zeon was right, and that the core was somewhere within this tunnel.

"What now?" Zalbard asked, looking over Creed's shoulder at the orb within his palms. It had been a long time since he'd used it, and when he had, he wasn't even sure he'd been doing it right. Geshp never showed him, as he didn't like others using it unless ordered otherwise by Zeon. Creed tried concentrating his power, but to no avail. There was no power in his body to concentrate. Again he tried to concentrate, but this time, he centered the power into the orb. A kind of surging, stinging sensation ran through his arms and up to his shoulders, and the orb glowed red. Within the orb itself, a tiny flame grew, until the inside of the orb was a swirling storm of fire. Creed found that, even when he wasn't concentrating, the orb would remain lit until he released its power. Unfortunately, he could not absorb any of this power into his own body, as the orb's power was limited and contained.

"This thing is amazing." Zalbard whispered, very intrigued by the swirling flames.

"Yes. Once we find the core, we can use it's powers to help us create the devil, as well, as we have no strength of our own." Creed said as he looked into the tunnel, which was now well illuminated. "I have to admit, this was a great idea. Thank you."

Zalbard grinned proudly and nodded. As they began their descent into the tunnel, which sloped downward deep into the bowels of Arc Valley, Creed hoped that the path did not split anywhere, lest they be forced to cover extra ground. He also hoped he wasn't wrong about this dark energy at the core of the valley. If by chance he was unable to harness it's powers, he would have reached a dead end. There weren't many other options available to him, but until he found the core, he wouldn't know. So they pressed on into the darkness in search of the center of the largest power in all of Rune.


	3. Chapter 3 Passenger

A/N: Sorry for the giant gap between chapters, but I had chapter 3 nearly finished when my laptop failed. I have yet to recover the data from the hard drive, and I really don't have the money to get the laptop fixed, so I've been forced to rewrite the entire chapter. Anyway, here it is, so enjoy.

Chapter 3 - Passenger

The tunnel seemed endless, twisting and winding ever deeply into the heart of the planet, the walls oozing the same perpetual darkness the entire way along. On top of the oppressiveness of the cavern walls themselves, the light of the orb, though very bright, seemed to almost retreat from what could only be described as a palpable blackness that invaded from all sides.

"I can barely see anything." Zalbard was about a yard behind Creed, and numerous times he'd reached out a clawed hand to grab his companion's shoulder as the dark enveloped him. "This place is odd, it's like the air is alive somehow…"

Creed looked back over his shoulder, and though he expected Zalbard to be clearly visible, he couldn't see him at all. "I suppose whatever evil is seeping through these walls is suppressing the light." Creed looked back down at the swirling ball of flames in his hands apprehensively. Even though he could barely see the walls of the cavern by now, he felt them bearing down on him.

As the minutes passed slowly by, the tunnel eventually began to widen until Creed could no longer discern how high the ceiling went and he had to outstretch one hand to the wall to guide him onward. The light was so muffled by now that he was sure that they would have been just as well without it.

"There's a light ahead, I think." Zalbard said, sounding somewhat relieved. Surely enough, Creed began to make out a dim purple glow as they proceeded, growing slowly brighter until he was able to lower the orb to his side and let the flame inside it flicker out.

The tunnel turned rather abruptly to the right, leading them into a high walled cavern that seemed to reach up endlessly into darkness. Creed's eyes widened as they entered, and he could hear Zalbard's sharp intake of breath. About twenty yards ahead of them, an enormous column of absolute shadow stood, pulsating like the vein of some great creature. Though the center of the broad cylinder was of an unyielding shadowy black, an aura of dark blue and purple radiated out from it, and small orbs of similar color orbited it slowly. Now and then, a shadowy bolt shot from the column and seemed to absorb the orbs instantly.

"Is that it?" Zalbard had regained himself and stepped to Creed's side, and a clawed hand scratched at his beard absently.

"I suppose so." Creed wasn't amazingly surprised at the appearance of the column. He'd be expecting something along these lines. It was the immense power that he felt radiating upon him that had him taken aback.

"It's completely silent in here, you'd think this thing would produce some sort of sound." Zalbard observed as they both moved a few steps closer to the pulsating column. Creed was ignoring him at this point, examining the column silently from afar. It expanded very slowly, small lightning-like bolts shot this way and that from its surface, engulfed a ball of energy, then retracted again within fractions of a second. The orbs of energy themselves grew slowly from nearly invisible specks to orange sized globes that seemed to writhe and twist from the inside, almost as the flames within Geshp's orb had.

Creed turned to Zalbard after a moment, and noticed he, too, had become silent and was observing the column with an intense fascination. "Let's get a bit closer." Creed nodded in the columns direction and began to walk toward it even before Zalbard could grunt in agreement. Before they got very much closer, though, a deep, growling voice broke the silence of the room.

"Don't get too close." The words came from all around, though the voice was hollow and low. Creed felt instantly that the atmosphere in the room had changed, and an odd presence began to culminate around him. He felt as if something were literally sitting on his shoulders. "Come now, back away a little."

"Who's that?" Zalbard took a step back hesitantly, and Creed could tell by his troubled expression that they were both feeling the same uncomfortable pressure.

"If you get too close, the column will absorb you." The voice spoke harshly, and yet at the same time managed to be exceedingly flippant.

"Who are you?" Creed repeated Zalbard's question calmly, also taking a step back.

"Ah. Odd creatures, devils. You're just as bad as humans, aren't you? Always trying to identify and put names to things." The voice snickered. "I'm the spirit in charge of protecting this spindle. I'm to make sure no one bothers it. That includes devils."

"A spirit?" Zalbard addressed the room uneasily, slightly flustered by the fact that he was talking to something he couldn't see.

"He's not the sharpest tool, is he?" The spirit laughed. Zalbard growled audibly in response.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Creed could hear the irritability in Zalbard's voice.

"So this is called a spindle?" He ignored Zalbard entirely, "I don't see the point in protecting this thing."

There was silence for a moment before the spirit responded, "You've got me there. This isn't a job, it's a punishment. Trust me, if I had my way I'd have left this place a long time ago. That thing doesn't need to be protected, it can take care of itself."

"Oh?" Creed feigned interest.

"You two are the ones that need protecting. Get within a few meters of that thing and you become pure energy."

Zalbard huffed loudly, "You can't expect us to keep talking to you if we can't see you."

"Are you really that simple minded that you're all befuddled if you can't see what you're speaking to?" The voice sighed, if the growling noise that followed could be called that. "Fine."

A few feet in front of the ever pulsing spindle, a large, semi translucent face appeared. It closely resembled the face of a human, though its features seemed oddly distorted and the color of its skin was a strange shade of violet. It's eyes were wide and had an almost crazed look about them, the whites being very large and the iris very small in comparison. The mouth of the creature was twisted into a strange, fang filled grin, and its teeth were grossly yellow.

"What are you called?" Creed asked, now somewhat interested.

"I don't really have a name, names are the creation of humans and devils. They're not necessary here. No one need address me, and a warning to outsiders is all I need to give. Names are irrelevant." It hissed from behind that wide grin.

Creed was becoming somewhat impatient with the extensive explanations. "Listen, I need to get to that 'spindle', or whatever it is you want to call it. I need to harness its energy, and though I value the warning, I'm going to use it whether you like it or not. So we can be diplomatic about this and you can let me do what I need to do, or we can settle it another way." Creed wasn't as much bluffing as he was relying on the hints he was given by the spirit's offhand manner. It didn't seem much interested in protecting anything, and all this useless banter led him to believe that all it wanted really was to talk a little, something he had no time for.

"You want to fight me? You have no power here, I'm not an imbecile, unlike your very ugly friend here." The spirit seemed to widen its grin, if that was even possible. "Besides, I'm not here to fight. I have just as much power as you do here. It's actually more comfortable to remain invisible and save what little energy I have."

"Well, then where do we go from here?" Zalbard asked, ignoring the spirit completely and turning to Creed again.

"Let's make a deal, maybe?" The spirit chuckled.

"We don't need anything from you." Zalbard spat.

"Oh? Well, have it your way. Try harnessing this energy, or whatever you said you needed to do. I've given you fair warning." The spirit's eyes turned back to Creed. "Once you approach this thing, there will be nothing left of you. Not even a finger, not even your clothes."

"I'm listening." Creed sighed.

The spirit clicked his tongue audibly and hissed, "Ahh, good. Now, I'm not looking to be stuck here for another eternity. I'm quite fed up with this hole. You get me out, and I'll help you do what you need to do with the spindle."

"Don't trust him." Zalbard whispered.

"Be quiet." Creed said without looking over at him. "Okay, how do I get you out?"

"Creed, you can't trust this thing. How do you know he won't kill you!"

"You have any better ideas?" Creed answered testily. "The worst it can do is kill me, and what then? We're no better off down here."

"But Creed-"

"I said be quiet," his tone was final.

"Are you boys quite finished?" The spirit hissed once again in that flippant way. "To release me, I need a vessel. It can be a body, either one of yours will do. You won't have to move out of it, I'll just sort of…well, move in for a bit. I'm not quite powerful enough to control the body if the soul does not belong to me, but I'll still be one with your mind. Unless you have something else?"

Creed scratched at his chin for a moment, and then rather absently raised the orb still clutched in his other hand up to eye level. "Will this do?"

The spirit sniffed, "I'm assuming it has magical properties of some sort? Yes, I think that'll do fine, though I hope you'll find me something more suitable in the future. That thing looks quite stuffy."

"Okay, well, what now?"

"Just repeat after me. '_E'il spiris, neh realis sen fo senis vonds'_." Creed repeated this as best he could, and the spirit's grin widened further. With an audible crack, the huge face vanished.

"It worked?" Zalbard looked around. "You're not dead yet, so…"

"I keep my word." The spirit's voice hadn't lost any of its former volume or offhand manner, but its source was now very obviously the orb in Creed's hand.

"I can't see you." Creed spoke to the orb.

"That doesn't matter…that's quite an interesting idea you have there, Creed. You want to create a devil with this energy? Creative, I'll grant you that."

Creed's eyebrow rose. "You can read my thoughts?"

"You catch on quickly. I told you that this would happen. It doesn't really matter if I inhabit you body or not. You released me, I'm in your care. You're my master."

"Doesn't matter. Well, now you know what I want, so that should make everything easier, now shouldn't it?"

The spirit chuckled. "It should. That doesn't mean it will. We'll see what happens, I guess."

"He infuriates me," Zalbard hissed.

"So, how do I-"

"CREED!" An enormous bellow shook the walls of the cavern, and Creed spun around almost on his heel. He knew his master's voice when he heard it, not that anyone else here could have made such an ear shattering bellow.

"Seems someone has been a bad boy." The spirit chuckled.

"Can I turn you off?"

"_Is this a little better?_" The voice was now lower, but had an odd quality to it. It wasn't echoing at all, though they were in quite a large cavern and it had been resonating the entire time. "_I'm speaking to you telepathically._"

"CREED! Return at once!" Zeon's bellow resonated throughout the cavern once again, leaving a sinking feeling in the pit of Creed's stomach.

"I guess it's time to go back. Do you think Geshp squealed about you stealing the orb?" Zalbard was visibly shaken by Zeon's bellows. Of all the greater devils, Zalbard was perhaps the most afraid of Zeon's reprimands.

"Probably not the orb, but the fact that I broke his nose." Creed grinned remembering the incident. "Let's go back, he won't stop calling me until we do."

The spirit contained within Geshp's orb was already proving useful. Without Creed even trying, the orb caught flame from within, thrice as bright as it has when he'd used it earlier. As they trekked back through the tunnel, Creed noticed that the palpable darkness that had essentially made the orb useless was at least somewhat driven back by the light now, perhaps because it was so much brighter. Zeon's calls had stopped, but Creed knew that if he didn't return soon, Zeon's temper would flare even more. The Devil King was not to be kept waiting.

"_Who might that have been? He sounds very put off._" Creed heard the spirit's voice in his mind.

"_Zeon, my master, the King of Devils._" Creed's thought responded.

The evil spirit scoffed. "_Devil king, human king. You fleshlings are all the same. Why is there a need for such a chain of power? Be your own devil, Creed._"

"Don't speak of things your don't understand." He replied aloud without realizing it.

"Sorry?" Zalbard asked from behind. Creed ignored him.

"_Whatever you say._" The thought came to Creed, and that was the last he heard from evil spirit for the rest of the walk.

The two greater devils emerged from the cavern, both of them sweating heavily in the hot, stagnant air of the cavern. Creed sent out a quick thought, and evil spirit obeyed, muffling the light of the orb until the fire disappeared.

"Creed." Zeon said from the opposite end of the hall as he and Zalbard approached. "Did you find what you were looking for?" His voice had a slight edge to it, though Zeon actually seemed interested in whether Creed had made any headway, which was a good sign.

"My king, I've located a vein of dark energy. It's exactly what I was looking for. I'm surprised I discovered it with very little trouble." He responded.

"I assume by 'trouble', you mean the fact that you had to beat in Geshp's face." Zeon didn't sound too angry, but that subtle hint of aggravation somewhere within his voice was there. Usually, Zeon was very open about how he felt. It wasn't in him to keep anything pent up, and why should he? There were none above him, but when it came to Creed, the way he handled things was very different.

"Ah, my lord," Creed looked directly into Zeon's face as he spoke, "would he have given me the orb otherwise?"

"It was unnecessary. You could have come to me." Zeon sighed. "You're my right hand, Creed. I cannot have dissension in my ranks, regardless of our situation. You may be the superior devil, and I do not question your judgment, but we're not on the battlefield anymore. You don't need to make snap decisions and take matters into your own hands. The war is over." Creed considered this and realized his master was indeed quite correct. Though he never questioned Zeon's methods or his logic, Creed was always of the assumption that his very reason for being was to be Zeon's brain when Zeon reached the limit of his own imagination, but this was clearly not the case. Zeon was more intelligent than Creed gave him credit for, and maybe that was why he was the master, and Creed was his minion.

"My king, I apologize." Creed said sincerely.

"What did you need it for anyway?" Zeon's one eyebrow raised as he bellowed. "A catalyst?"

"A torch." Creed grinned slightly.

"You break a nose for a torch?" Zeon hissed another sigh. "Geshp!"

The little imp came trudging from his alcove, blood still crusted underneath his now slightly crooked green nose. His face was quite obviously swollen, making him look even more grotesque.

"Yes?" Geshp avoided eye contact with Creed at all costs, and stood with his bent nose turned up as he spoke.

"You will NOT speak to your superior as you have. You've received just punishment for that grave error, it would seem." Zeon's eyes tightened as he bellowed. "I'd have done very much worse."

Geshp winced visibly, "Yes…yes, it won't happen again, my king."

"Good. Since that's settled, please return the orb, Creed."

Creed held out the orb to Geshp, who grabbed at it quickly, but not before Creed could snatch it back.

"Wait." Creed looked into the orb for a moment.

"What is this! Master Zeon has given you an order!" Geshp looked at Zeon pleadingly. "He defies you!"

"Shut up, Geshp." Zeon roared, causing Geshp to flinch slightly.

"_I need to give this back. You have to come out._" Creed sent out his thought to the evil spirit.

"_Good, I was beginning to wish I'd stayed in the cavern. I'm feeling claustrophobic._" The spirit said in it's usual offhand way. "_I can't just come out, I need another vessel. I have permission to inhabit your body?_"

Creed sighed heavily, once again considering how this might effect him. It could curse him, cause permanent damage, or possibly kill him.

"_Yes._" Creed's mind answered, and before he could think twice, he felt a strange surge from the orb, almost like a jolt of electricity. It was done. He could feel the evil spirit within him, a foreign logic invading his own. Creed didn't quite grasp the wisdom that this spirit held when he'd met him. In fact, he was mostly just an obstacle. He now realized just what he was dealing with as their minds became one, but their identities still remained separate. The addition of an entity with such years was a dramatic shock to his system, and, unbeknownst to him, the shock of this enormous change to his body was plainly visible on his face. Without realizing, Creed dropped the blood red orb to the cavern floor, where it fell with an audible thump, rather than the clatter any other glass orb might make.

"What just happened?" Zeon asked with undisguised curiosity. "Creed? Are you alright?"

"Y-yes." Creed muttered, his eyes still wide and somewhat glassy.

Geshp grabbed up the orb and bowed to Zeon in the same motion, "I'll withdraw now with your consent, my king."

"Go." Zeon responded without looking at Geshp, and the little imp skittered back into his alcove.

Zalbard watched him go, and then turned back to Creed. "Creed? You let that thing take over your body, didn't you?" Zalbard eyes grew as wide as Creed's had.

"Explain this." Zeon said impatiently.

"Guarding the vein…" Creed managed to say, still adjusting to this drastic mental change. "There was an ancient spirit guarding the main energy spindle…" As soon as he spoke those words, information flowed to him from the other awareness within him. He was incorrect.

"_Not the main spindle, just one of many._" Evil Spirit's thought came to him much faster than it had from the orb, and though they were one mind, somehow Creed was able to differentiate his own thoughts from that of the other awareness. "_Many, there are many. Many spirits, also. Many punished, never released, except me. Thank you, Creed. I am in your debt. Your debt._"

"I placed the spirit into Geshp's orb. I need it to help me test some theories." Creed hurried along, trying his best to hide how very disoriented he was just now. "I am its master, so I had to let it occupy my body for now, since I have nothing else to hold it in."

"I told him it wasn't wise, my king." Zalbard interjected.

"Creed, those spirits are not the same as the ones you see floating about here." Zeon bellowed. "As far as I can tell, Arc Valley is also filled with these guardians, though I've only heard of them. I never knew exactly what they were said to guard, though. Be careful, Creed. Be ready to expel that thing from your body if you sense anything odd about its intentions. Those spirits have no conscience, no sense of loyalty."

"Who put them here?" Zalbard asked.

"_The Light. Light, the Creator. It's a punishment."_ Evil spirit whispered somewhere in Creed's mind.

"I'm not sure." Zeon admitted.

"I'll be fine. I understand the risks and accept them gladly if it will help us get out of here quicker." Creed said, still trying to keep his composure.

"Just remember, Creed," Zeon bellowed as he turned his good eye to look at the devil, "I need you. You're worth too much to die in some experiment down here."

"I understand." Creed bowed.

"I'll return to sleep now. Be careful." Zeon's eyes had already begun to roll up into his head as he spoke, his eyes closing slowly.

"My king." Creed and Zalbard said in unison, before returning to their separate alcoves.

"_I didn't know it would be like this._" Creed held his head in frustration, his back against the wall of his 'room' as he considered the ramifications of what he had just done to himself.

"_Not a treat for me either. Consider the fact that I haven't had a body in eons before you complain. How do you think this feels for me?_"

"_Shouldn't that make this a plus for you?_" Creed's thought responded.

"_Should it? I'm not the one in control._"

"_Just shut up for a while, please._"

"_You really should have considered this better if all you're going to do is complain. You'll hear my thoughts whether I want you to or not, and I'll hear yours._" Evil Spirit spoke in a very serious tone, and had since the merge. Creed took this as an indication that this wasn't a simple matter for either of them.

"_I need to try and get some sleep. I feel terrible…_" Creed groaned aloud as he thought this.

"_So be it._" Evil Spirit's thought came, and was the last one Creed heard before he fell uneasily into an all too short sleep.


End file.
